Coin selectors of the gravity type



Oct. 16, 1956 A W. J, SUMMERS l 2,766,865

COIN SELE CTORS OF' THE GRAVITY TYPE Filed Dec. 20, 1954 United States Patent Q COlN SELECT ORS OF THE GRAVITY TYPE William J. Summers, Skokie, Ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, to General Patent Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 20, 1954, Serial No. 476,184

2 Claims. (Cl. 194-97) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coin selectors of the gravity type and has for one of its objects the provision of a new and improvide separator for separating acceptable coins from spurious coins.

Coin selectors of the gravity type generally embody a magnet for controlling the speed of movement of coins and tokens to vary their trajectory to an acceptance path- Way or rejection pathway depending upon the metallic characteristics of the coin or token. Spurious coins, such for example, brass tokens or coins having a metallic constituency which is generally affected by eddy currents set up by a magnet to the extent that its speed of travel is not as fast as a genuine coin having a high electrical resistance, such as a ve-cent coin. As the trajectory of a brass token differs from that of a genuine five-cent coin, it is essentially necessary that a separator be employed which will function to divert spurious and acceptable, or live-cent coins, into an acceptance pathway. As such separators prior to my invention are rigid in construction or made an integral part of the wall to which the same is attached, any variation in the trajectory of either a genuine coin or a spurious coin will result in faulty separation of such coins. it is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide a separator capable of compensating for such variation of the trajectory of either a spurious coin or a genuine coin to assure a proper separation of genuine coins from spurious coins.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter rdescribed and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying :drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a rear perspective of a panel showing my improved coin selector mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the coin selector shown in Fig. l showing the parts in open position to better illustrate the interior of the same; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the coin selector embodied in my invention.

Coin selectors with which this invention is concerned are of the type embodied in vending or amusement game apparatuses for conditioning the apparatuses for operation upon the deposit of a proper genuine coin.

Only so much of the coin selector is illustrated as is thought necessary to a proper understanding of my invention.

As shown in my copending application Serial No. 476,183 tiled on even date hereof, the coin selector comprises two plates 20 and 21 hingedly connected together as at 22 and when in operative condition, are arranged in confronting relation with respect to each other to provide a receiving pathway 23 communicating with a trackway 24 down which acceptable coins gravitate. The trackway 24 communicates with a testing pathway 25 in which there is a shelf 26 from which coins roll for striking en- 2,766,865 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 ICC gagement with my improved separator to be diverted into an acceptance pathway 27 or a rejection pathway 28, as the case may be. In this testing pathway 25 are also exposed the poles of a permanent magnet 30 to set up eddy currents to inuence the speed of travel of the coins or tokens.

Coins received in the acceptance pathway 27 pass through an acceptance slot 31 provided at the lower end of the acceptance pathway 27 by the confronting plates 20 and 21. Spurious coins received in the rejection pathway pass out through a rejection slot 32 to a return cup 33 mounted on the flat of the panel 34. On this panel 34 the coin selector is mounted as at 35. The receiving pathway 23 communicates with a deposit cup 36 having a chute 37 which communicates with the receiving pathway 23 in a manner disclosed and described in my copending application hereinbefore mentioned.

As in my copending application, an arrangement including a counterbalanced deflector plate 38 is provided to deect spurious coins such as metal discs or other underweight coins from the trackway 24 to a rejection chute 39 from whence the spurious coins will pass through the rejection slot 32. For a more detailed description of the function of this deiiector plate 33, reference may be had to my copending application hereinbefore mentioned.

As indicated, my invention is concerned with an improved separator for separating genuine coins from spuriuos coins such as brass tokens or the like. ln this connection, my improved separator includes a plate 40 of elongated at formation secured adjacent its lower edge portion as at 41 to the plate 2i. rhe top edge 42 of this plate from a substantially medial point tapers downwardly in reverse directions from such point. Intermediate the side edge portions of this plate 49 there are formed parallel slots 43 to provide a semi-rigid vertically extending selector nger 44, free to be bent to a position on either side of its long axis.

For best results, this tinger 44 should be disposed in a proper vertical position where it will be engaged by a genuine coin C, as the latter rolls off the shelf 25, in a manner such that such coin will be deflected into the acceptance pathway 27. While in such position the finger 44 should also effectively function to engage spurious coins S, as they roll off the shelf 26, and deflect the same into the rejection pathway 2S. Should it be found that the spurious coins are being deflected by the finger 44 into the acceptance pathway instead of the rejection pathway because the linger 44 is bent too far to the right of its long axis, such finger may be bent laterally to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, of its long vertical axis to a position Where, when engaged by a spurious coin, the latter will be deected into the rejection pathway. rThis is accomplished by placing the tip of a screwdriver in the left-hand slot of the slots 43 and manually rotating the screwdriver in a direction to bend the finger to the left of its long axis to a proper position to elfectively deect the spurious coins into the rejection pathway. Should it be found that genuine coins are being detiected by the finger 44 into the rejection pathway because the finger is bent too far to the left of its axis, the nger 44 may be adjusted to overcome this defect by placing the tip of a screwdriver in the right-hand slot of the slots 43 and bending the nger 44 to the left to a position where it will perform its dual function.

As in my copending application, a magnetic stud 45 is mounted in a non-magnetic sleeve 46 with one portion of the stud 45 exposed for attracting para-magnetic coins and to deect them from the trackway 24 to the rejection pathway 28, this being accomplished in a manner disclosed in my copending application.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent have provided a coin selector embodying a separator capable of eiectively and efficiently separating genuine coins fromy spurious coins and a separator which may be easily =and conveniently adjusted to obtainthe highest degree of eciency inoperation. i Y Y Y,

j TheV separator constructed as described herein is especially` useful to assure proper separation of genuine coins from spurious coins, especially in cases where the magnet yhas beengweakened .by longusagegresulting in a differentiation in the trajectory ofthe coins. By simply adjusting the separating inger, the same can be made to compensate for the change in such trajectory due to la weakened magnet. Y- Y While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into etfect, this is capable of variation'and modification with- -out departing ffro'rnthe-spiritof :the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited yto the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modiiications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:- 1. A coin selector comprising an enclosure providing a receiving pathway, a testing pathway communicating with-the receiving pathway, and an acceptance pathway and a rejection pathway, each communicating with the testing pathway, coin testing means'in said testing pathway, and separating means for separating genuine ycoins from spurious coins passing from said testing pathway and forrdeecting the genuinevcoins into the acceptance pathway and the spurious coins into the rejection pathway, said separating means comprising a relatively ilat plate having spaced parallel slots formed therein to provide a separating nger bendable .on either side of its long axis.

2. A coin selector comprising an enclosure providing a receiving pathway, a testing pathway communicating wtih the receiving pathway, and an acceptance pathway and a rejection pathway, each communicatingV with the testing pathway, coin testing means in said testing path- Way, and separating means for'separating genuine coins from spurious coins passing from said testing pathway and for deecting the genuine coins into the acceptance pathway and the spurious coins into the rejection pathway, said separating means comprising a relatively at plate having spaced parallel slots formed therein to provide a separating nger b endable on either side of its long axis, the top edge of saidvplate being tapered from 20 a medial point reversely in opposite directions.

References Cited in the tle of thisv patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Mills ,Oct. 6, 1942 2,549,200 Hooks Y Apr; 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1894 

